Episode 8: Otona No Kaori. Yakimochi Nante Yaite Nai

"Fragrance of an adult. I'm not jealous"

In her room, Miki is thinking about the memories of Hokkaido and how happy she was. But she also thought about the Ginta and Arimi situation. She wonders if she really does like Ginta more that You.

You is knocking on her door after Chiyako calls her. "Don't be such a sleepyhead, Miki!" You yells from the other side. "Everyone's hungry and they're waiting for you....If you don't get up, I'm going to spank you to wake up." Miki immediately gets out of bed.

Miki meets them at the backyard and she's surprised to see a nice table arrangement for the BBQ the parents were setting up. Jin says that her mother and Chiyako had been working really hard on the BBQ and Miki says that it was really just Chiyako because her mother can't make anything that pretty. Rumi tells Miki that she's rude. But Youji defends Rumi by saying she cut the vegetables and stuff. They all start to laugh~even Miki. But her smile quickly disappears because she doesn't want to get involved with the family.

The parents make a toast welcoming Miki and You back from their trip. They said that they are glad the two are home because they could eat like a family again. Miki wonders what's wrong with them. They tell her that they were lonely without them and that it's great doing a family thing.

Chiyako and the rest ask about the trip and Miki says that the Hokodate Mountain was great at night. Then the parents start to talk amongst themselves about their days going to Hokodate.

Miki tells herself that she shouldn't get so involved with such a strange family but she got caught off guard because she was thinking about Ginta and Arimi. She continues eating her BBQ alone on the bottom step of the porch, even though Rumi told her to come up and join them. Jin sees his daughter just sitting there and he decides to make good of the situation. He tries to invite everyone into a family outing like movies and shopping. Everyone says that it's a great plan. They ask Miki if she wants to go but she yells at them saying that she just can't see herself being in such a strange family and what if someone from school should see them together out like that. Then everyone would know about their situation that she's been keeping a secret.

"All six of us going out together is a really bad idea!" She screams at them. She runs away, thinking that everyone is against her. She walks into a store and sees Arimi buying perfume. She hides behind a huge stuffed bear so Arimi won't see her. She comments that Arimi looks so much like an adult compared to herself. She looks at a mirror and sighs. "I look like a little kid."

Arimi then sees Miki watching her. They both say a hello and Miki comments that her fragrance smells nice. Arimi smiles at her and tells her that she's going to see "Ginta" now. Miki wonders how close Ginta and Arimi really are...because Arimi had called him just by his first name.

When she gets home, she hears something break from the livingroom and the parents looking stern, standing around a broken vase. They tell both her and You that it was nothing and that she and You should just go to their rooms.

The next day at school You and Miki are talking:

You: They must have had a fight...They must be having some serious problems.
Miki wonders why they were fighting because all this time their relationship, "has been good"
You: It seems to me that our parents had a serious difference of opinion. It sure looks like they had a fight.

At home, as Miki was about to write in the exchange diary, she hears another noise from downstairs.

Rumi: (screaming)I can't take it anymore. I can't keep on with this kind of life
Chiyako:(looking depressed) You're right. I was afraid that 17 years of marriage would outweigh the new relationship. There's no way to succeed with a new partner after such a long time.
Jin:(looking down on the floor)If that's the case, then all we can do is go back as we were before. We got to stop living together.

Miki and You are all surprised and shocked. Miki gets mad and yells at her father and the others. "What the heck is going on here?"

Jin: Miki, I'm sorry...you opposed this from the start but we went ahead anyway and ended up with everyone hurting everyone else.
Miki: Ended?

Jin tells Rumi that their relationships should just end now and never see each other again. Youji agrees along with Chiyako. Miki is confused and she tells them to stop because they're all going too fast for her.

You seems fine with it and asks Chiyako if he will have to change schools. Chiyako basically says yes, because it's best to never see the Koishikawas again. Rumi says that they should hurry up and pack.

Miki: Wait a minute.! You're going to give up so easily? Don't you have any regrets? Didn't you think this all through in the beginning?
Rumi: Weren't you strongly opposed to this from the beginning?
Jin: Weren't you hoping that things would end up this way? Aren't You happy?
Miki: I was at first. Even though society doesn't accept this situation, it seems to me that things are going fairly well. But you all gave up so easily. We've only lived together a short time but to cut off all relationships that would be...
Jin: So you're saying that this lifestyle doesn't bother you anymore?
Miki: Yeah...

To her surprise, the parents are suddenly happy and they jump for joy. Miki realizes that it was all a trick to make her admit she was OK with the situation. The parents compliment each other on their performance and they also compliment You for his.

Miki is very pissed. She runs to her room and starts to cry. She barricades her bedroom door with her desk. How could they do such a thing? The parents are worried and are standing on the other side of the door. You then knocks on her window and asks to come in. Miki lets him in and asks how he got there. He says he climbed through his window.

Miki: You idiot, you might have hurt yourself. (She sits down on the floor)
You: Well at least the surprise stopped you from crying.
Miki: (touches her cheeks) oh..yeah...
You: (smiles at her and kneels down across from her. He wipes away a few tears from her eyes) Don't you think you're overreacting? It hurts when someone lies to you doesn't it? You had a good reason to be angry. But they're all really worried about how they forced you to admit your feelings. They wanted to make sure that what they did didn't make you hate them. So do you think you can forgive them?
Miki agrees. You sticks his had out to help her up. (Thinking) He usually teases me but today he's so serious and kind. I don't know what to make of him when he's like this...
They open up the door to her room where the parents are still waiting outside. Rumi hugs her tightly.

In the exchange diary: Meiko, since then, I've thought that I don't want to be apart from You...There have been so many things about him that I didn't understand, that I didn't notice how big a part You has come to play in my life...

Chiyako then comes in her room. She apologizes about what they had done and she gives Miki a sample of cosmetics her company is making. It's especially made just for teenagers.

Miki is happy about it and thanks Chiyako. She tells her that when she saw Arimi earlier, she was a bit envious because she had an air of an "adult" around her. Miki also asks Chiyako if she could teach her more about makeup. Chiyako says yes.

Miki: "Wearing this cologne makes me feel a little more like an adult..."

---->Episode #9